


There's no point in sharing scars to prove it

by scalira



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Implied Suicide Attempt, Implied abuse, M/M, Mention of torture, Post 2x04, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-24
Updated: 2017-01-24
Packaged: 2018-09-19 16:53:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9451076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scalira/pseuds/scalira
Summary: Raphael isn’t planning on speaking to Simon at all on their little errand run, not in the mood for fighting, but Simon wouldn’t be Simon if he didn’t get uncomfortable with long silences.“I’m, uh – I’m sorry for the way I reacted back at Magnus’ loft,” he says, voice soft.Raphael raises an eyebrow.“Didn’t think you were capable of apologies,” he says dryly.OR my take on Raphael's thoughts during last night's episode and what happened on his errand run with Simon.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is a very spoiler-heavy fic, so if you haven't watched 2x04 yet, please do so before reading this fic!  
> This is also a very dialogue-heavy fic but everyone just needs to TALK, okay!

On his way to Magnus’ loft, Raphael thinks about his mother.

He could think about her dancing through their small apartment when he was younger, or how she bowed her head when she prayed, or how her laugh had sounded. But instead, he thinks about her fragile body as she lay dying, a skinny arm reaching for her oldest son. She’d held onto his hand so tightly Raphael thought she might still recover, but he was just fooling himself. He could already smell death lingering around her. It wouldn’t be long before it took her.

She had told him, coughing and pale and sweat glistering on her forehead, that he had to be strong. Not just now, but for as long as he would live. She had told him that the world was out to get him, people like him. He had to be careful, follow the law and not get in trouble. She would go with more peace if she knew her son would be safe. So he promised her, biting back tears, that he would be careful. That he would reach out to Magnus for help when he needed it, that he would follow the law and not give anyone any reason to want to hurt him.

His mother had nodded once more, the same small, deviant smile dancing on her lips she always got when she felt like she outsmarted someone, and closed her eyes with a peaceful sigh.

Hearing his mother’s heartbeat stop had broken him. He’d collapsed next to her bed, still holding her hands, and sobbed. His brothers comforted him as best they could, but they all knew they would someday join her in heaven while Raphael would either live forever or go to hell. They would not meet each other again.

Over the decades, the memory of his mother started to fade. He couldn’t quite remember the exact color of her eyes, or the way her body moved as she danced, or how her hands had felt in his. But he never forgot her last words to him. So he stayed low profile, joined Camille’s clan to survive, endured her sharp words and even sharper claws for _years_ , because he knew he had made his mother a promise he couldn’t break.

He had tried so hard to keep his promise. Not many things can remain sacred to a creature so damned, but Raphael’s word had always been holy to him. He never broke it.

That’s what he thinks about as he slowly drags himself to Magnus, every inch of his body hurting. The crosses burned into his face throb painfully, and Raphael thinks there’s irony in that somewhere. A symbol so sacred to him, burning his flesh.

The walk to Magnus’ place seems endless. He has to stick to dimly lit streets and allies, not having enough strength to use his vampire speed. He’s vulnerable to the human eye like this. A Mundane just has to look into his direction to notice a mutilated man dragging himself forward. Raphael thinks he’s going to collapse and not get up multiple times, but the promise to his mother keeps him going. He _needs_ to get to Magnus’, he _needs_ to stay out of any more trouble. If not for himself, for her.

Finally, _finally_ , he makes it to Magnus’ loft. He climbs up the stairs at an infuriating slow pace, every step hurting him to his core. His legs are trembling now and his vision is blurring, but he can see Magnus’ front door.

He falls against the doorframe and knocks, barely having any strength left to keep upright as he waits for Magnus to open the door. When he finally does, his face falls at once.

“Oh, Raphael,” he breathes, softly. Kindly.

“I had nowhere else to go,” Raphael says, struggling to find the words. He tries to take a step inside but collapses almost immediately. Luckily, Magnus is there to catch him.

“My poor boy,” he whispers. “Everything is gonna be alright. I’ll take care of you. Come in.”

He guides Raphael to a couch, almost carrying his entire weight. Raphael is embarrassed to be this weak, to have to rely on someone so much. He tries to take a step, but Magnus hushes him.

“I got you, Raphael,” he assures him. He gently puts him down on a comfortable chair and kneels before him to examine the wounds.

“Who did this to you?” He demands, fire burning in his eyes. Raphael feels an intense flare of affection for the older man, who looks like he’s ready to murder someone for him.

“Aldertree, of course,” he spits. He inhales sharply and sinks further into the chair, hands trembling. Magnus covers one of his hands with his own, the fire in his eyes having been replaced by compassion.

“Why didn’t you go home, my little ice cube?”

“And have the clan see me like this? I _can’t_ , Magnus. They’re scared enough as it is. They don’t need to see what Shadowhunters do to our people if we misbehave.”

He doesn’t say it out loud, but he also came to him because he knows Magnus cares for him. Yeah, he cares about his clan and he’s sure some might care about him too, on a professional level, but none of them know him like Magnus does. Tonight, he just needs someone to _care_.

Magnus nods solemnly, then gets up to walk around the chair. He tangles his fingers in Raphael’s hair to comfort him, and Raphael immediately feels his muscles relax. Magnus always used to do this when Raphael was younger and not as in control as he is now. The touch always calmed him down.

“Now, this is going to sting a little.”

“I can handle it,” Raphael mutters.

Magnus sighs and presses a kiss to the top of Raphael’s head.

“You shouldn’t have to,” he says, voice sad. Then he summons his magic and starts healing.

Magnus’ magic is warm on his face. It does sting a little, but not as much as the UV-light did. Magnus’ other hand is still in Raphael’s hair, massaging his scalp absentmindedly.

“Aldertree knows how I took you in. How you’re like a son to me,” he says after a while, fingers briefly skimming over Raphael’s face. “That’s why he did this.”

“He was looking for Camille,” Raphael sighs.

“And punishing me at the same time,” Magnus scoffs. Raphael swallows thickly. A few decades ago, he wouldn’t have thought anyone would love him enough for him to be used as a weapon against them. Sometimes, he wishes Magnus wasn’t so attached to him. That way, nobody could use Raphael to hurt him and he’d be spared a lot of pain and sorrow.

“So,” he tries, “can you help me deliver Camille to the Clave?”

Magnus’ fingers freeze over his face, and then his magic disappears.

“Raphael…” He starts.

“I know it’s a lot to ask,” Raphael interrupts. “Which is why I haven’t until now. Aldertree gave me twelve hours to deliver her, or he’ll burn me alive along with my entire clan.”

Magnus kneels besides him, clutching the necklace hanging from his neck. His eyes are sad, and Raphael _hates_ that he needs to ask this of him. But he has no other choice.

Magnus inhales sharply, but before he can reply, someone knocks on his door.

“Magnus?” Simon calls out. Raphael’s blood freezes in his veins. “You there? It’s me.”

Raphael gets out of the chair as Magnus magic-opens the door and Simon comes barging in, muttering something Raphael doesn’t care enough about to listen to. He turns the corner to face the disgraced fledgling, and Simon’s face turns dark.

“Man, you are _everywhere_ ,” he growls.

Raphael points at the burn mark on his temple, the one Magnus didn’t heal yet. “Aldertree did this to me because of you.”

“Yeah, well, you look like crap,” Simon scoffs. “Bring it on, Scarface.” He gives him a shove and Raphael pulls his lips back in a snarl, stepping forward to growl at him. Magnus steps between them and holds up his hands, as if Raphael would actually attack Simon. As if he would actually hurt him.

“Hey, hey, boys! Relax! Let’s talk this out like civil Downworlders.” He places a demanding but calm hand on Raphael’s chest, both a warning as a gesture of comfort. “Anyone for a martini? I’m having a double.”

He takes a slow step forward, still holding up his arms in warning.

“You threatened my mother,” Simon growls once Magnus has stepped away.

“If you even lifted half a finger to find Camille – ” Raphael starts, but Simon interrupts him.

“Lifted half a finger? I Portaled to freaking India and had to face off with a cobra! And all I got was this stupid box of hers!” He pulls out a wooden box, and Raphael snatches it out of his hand.

“This stupid box is sacred,” he says slowly, holding it in front of Simon’s face. “You know why? It contains Camille’s grave dirt.”

“Grave dirt?” Magnus echoes, looking up from his martini with a frown. “I thought maybe diamonds, or that gold ring she stole from Cleopatra’s grave.” Raphael notices the edge to his voice, the barely-there sentiment of panic creeping into his tone.

“So we’re excited about a box of dirt?” Simon asks. Raphael wants to slap him over the head, but instead he explains: “If you have a vampire’s grave dirt, you can use it to summon them.”

“Great. Except, not that it means anything, because that thing is harder to open than the Lost Ark.”

Raphael puts the box down and grabs the toothpick out of Magnus’ martini. He throws the olive away and grabs Simon’s hand, cutting a clean line in the palm of it.

“Ouch!” He shrieks. “What the hell?”

“To open the box, you need Camille’s blood,” Raphael says. He holds Simon’s wrist and pulls him towards the box. “And since she’s your Sire…” He holds Simon’s hands over the box and waits for his blood to drip on top of it. Once it does, the box opens with a soft _click_.

“Okay,” Simon says. “Now what?”

 

*

Magnus insists on healing Raphael before summoning Camille, despite Raphael telling him he’s fine and he’d rather just get Camille. But he understands that Magnus needs time to process this, to allow himself to grieve the woman he once loved – _still_ loves, in a way – so he doesn’t pressure him. Magnus separates himself from Simon and Raphael once he healed Raphael’s wounds and walks onto the balcony. Raphael tells Simon to leave him alone, but of course he doesn’t listen. Maybe he should just try some reverse psychology on him. Maybe, if he’d commanded him to _not_ find Camille, then Simon had actually found her. Who knows with him.

He doesn’t mean to eavesdrop as Simon and Magnus talk, but he can’t help but overhear Magnus talking about his past. Raphael bows his head with sorrow when he’s once again reminded that Magnus wasn’t always the life of the party. He had known dark days too, had thought about ending it too. Maybe that’s why Raphael likes him so much. Because he doesn’t just care; he _understands._

They come back inside after a while. Magnus looks incredibly sad, but he still manages a smile when his eyes meet Raphael’s.

“So, ready to do this?” Raphael asks once Magnus has picked up some of his potions.

“Almost,” Magnus assures him. He picks up a piece of paper and hands it to him. “I need you two to go to this address. My friend Catarina has some ingredients I need for extra fortification.”

“I thought the trap for Camille was finished?” Raphael wonders.

“Don’t underestimate Camille’s strength,” Magnus says. His eyes are pleading, and Raphael understands. _He needs more time_.

Maybe Simon sees it too, or maybe he just wants to be _absolutely_ sure the trap will work, but he nods and says: “Off to Caterina.”

Raphael follows him outside after having looked at Magnus once more, who suddenly looks small and vulnerable in his big apartment.

*

Raphael isn’t planning on speaking to Simon at all on their little errand run, not in the mood for fighting, but Simon wouldn’t be Simon if he didn’t get uncomfortable with long silences.

“I’m, uh – I’m sorry for the way I reacted back at Magnus’ loft,” he says, voice soft. Raphael raises an eyebrow.

“Didn’t think you were capable of apologies,” he says dryly.

Simon exhales sharply. “Yeah, I guess I deserved that one. I just – I never wanted you to get _tortured_ , Raphael. Sure, I might not really like you at the moment, but – ”

Raphael shoots out his hand to curl it around Simon’s bicep. He pulls him to a stop and forces him to look at him. “ _Not like_ _me_? You do not have the _right_ to pretend like _I_ was the one that wronged _you_. You released one of the most dangerous vampires alive and then _refused_ to help me find her, causing Victor to torture and threaten me. And now I’m forced to put Magnus in this situation, where he has to face the woman he loved more than himself and deliver her to the people that will surely kill her.”

Simon blinks at him. “I – I didn’t – ”

“What, you didn’t _mean_ to?” Raphael scoffs. “Well, you did. And now we all have to suffer the consequences.” He lets go off Simon’s arm and starts walking again with big, confident strides. The quicker this is over, the better it’ll be for both of them. Then they can both go back to their lives and never see each other again. Something ugly and raw stirs in Raphael’s chest at the thought, but he allows his anger to overpower it.

It takes Simon a few seconds to catch up with him. When he does, he cuts Raphael off and holds up a hand to make him stop walking.

“You don’t get it, Raphael – ”

“I don’t? You think I never had a mother? You think I didn’t want to go home when I first Turned? You think I liked being thrown into this world, forced into a clan I didn’t know with a leader I didn’t like? But instead of fighting every single aspect of my new life, I learned how to control it. I learned how to adapt, how to be a vampire _and_ a son. I gave you the opportunity to look for Camille. I asked you, I commanded you, and then I threatened you because I saw no other way. I helped you make your ridiculous band excuse more believable, and instead of using it to your advantage, you’re trying your damn hardest to fight me every step of the way. It’s _exhausting_ , Simon. _You’re_ exhausting.”

“I know, alright?” Simon snaps. “I know I could’ve done more. But Camille, she’s – I just – I’m _terrified_ of her. The thought of ever having to see her again makes me so anxious it feels like I’m choking.” He looks away from Raphael, violently blinking away his tears. Raphael feels his own expression soften.

“Camille used me for years, Simon. In every way imaginable. I’m terrified of her too. But it’s up to us to stop her if we don’t want a civil war in which my – _our –_ entire clan will probably perish. We both need to be brave now.”

Simon wipes at his eyes and looks back at him, bottom lip trembling ever so slightly. There’s no sign left of the angry vampire shoving him in Magnus’ apartment.

“I’m – I’m sorry I released her,” he says eventually.

Raphael offers him a small smile. He’s still incredibly angry at him, but his resentment towards him is already melting.

“I’m sorry I put a kill order on your head.”

“Yeah,” Simon chuckles, “that was kind of mean.”

“Well, you kind of deserved it,” Raphael counters. Then he sighs. “Look, I get why you did it. I’d probably done the same if I were you. But there will always be consequences to your actions, and part of growing up is learning how to deal with them. It’s time to grow up, Simon.”

“I know, I know. I just – I still see the Mundane world as my world. As if I could just go back to it.”

Raphael tilts his head. “You can. You can be both. If your family can accept you for what you are, you can find a way to balance it.”

“You think so?” Simon asks. The desperation in his voice is so familiar to Raphael it makes him dizzy. He had sounded the exact same way when Magnus had told him he didn’t _have_ to say goodbye to his family, all those decades ago.

Raphael pulls out his cross to show to Simon. It barely even hurts anymore.

“I learned how to wear the symbols sacred to me. I learned how to say God, how to pray, how to be as normal as possible. I stood by my mother’s side until the day she died. Being a vampire doesn’t have to mean isolating yourself, Simon. It just means adjusting.”

Simon nods, eyes fixated on Raphael’s cross. “You’re right. As soon as this whole Camille mess is over, I’m going to try to find a balance.”

“Good,” Raphael nods. He doesn’t offer to help him with that, not yet. Simon’s betrayal left deep scars, and it’ll take more than magic to heal them. But he feels that they might’ve taken the first step to recovery tonight. Just by talking.

“Hey, I’m – I’m also sorry about threatening your mother,” Raphael says, figuring he might as well apologize now that they’re finally talking instead of fighting. “I would never hurt her, or anyone’s family. I just – I didn’t see another way. I was desperate and scared, but I – I shouldn’t have done it. I’m sorry.”

Simon’s expression turns softer. Raphael ignores how the same thing stirs in his chest again and bites his bottom lip in anticipation.

“That – yeah, that wasn’t cool. But I guess, in a way… I get it. Camille being on the loose is dangerous to your family. I should’ve understood that instead of only thinking about mine.”

Raphael shakes his head with a sigh. “I guess we both did questionable things trying to protect the people we love.”

“Funny,” Simon laughs softly. “I always thought we couldn’t be more different, you and I. Guess we’re more alike than I thought.”

Raphael chuckles. “Apparently so.”

Simon nudges him with his elbow and starts walking again. “Come on, let’s just get that last ingredient and get back to Magnus’.”

“There is no last ingredient,” Raphael says. Simon stops and turns around to face him, confusion written all over his face.

“But Magnus – ”

“Magnus just needed more time to prepare himself,” Raphael explains. “Catarina isn’t even in New York. She’s hanging out somewhere in France.”

“Wait, you knew the whole time? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Raphael shrugs. “You’d want to go back immediately, trying to get the job done so you could go have dinner with your family. I just wanted to give Magnus the time to accept Camille’s fate. It’s a lot for him to take in.”

“You two go way back, don’t you?” Simon asks quietly. Raphael looks at the ground and curls his fingers around the cross on his neck.

“We do,” he nods. “I was in a bad place when he found me. He insists it’s not true, but in many ways, Magnus saved my life.” Then he clenches his jaw. “All Downworlders have a hard time coming to terms with what we are. I blame it on the way Shadowhunters perceive us. The way they act around us, how they treat us… it makes us feel inferior. It makes us feel like maybe we _deserve_ to be treated this way. That maybe there isn’t anything redeemable about us.”

“Hey, no,” Simon says, his voice gaining volume as he speaks. “You can’t think like that, Raphael. What Victor did to you, what the Clave threatened to do to you… you don’t deserve _any_ of it. I know I haven’t made it easy for you, but you’re a good person. Sure, you did some questionable things, but we _all_ have. The Shadowhunters aren’t better than we are, especially not when they use torture to get what they want.”

Raphael smiles gratefully up at him, tears suddenly stinging in his eyes. He quickly blinks them away, but Simon’s face turns even softer at the sight of Raphael tearing up. He hates himself only a little bit for showing weakness, but mostly Simon’s words just _comfort_ him. His entire life, for as long as he can remember, he had always, in a way, believed that he deserved everything life threw at him. Turning, Camille, Simon’s betrayal, clan members turning against him because they were on Camille’s side, torture. If they happened to him, maybe there was a good reason for it. Maybe he deserved it. Having someone tell him he deserves better makes him feel like maybe he actually does.

“Okay, I just got the weird sudden urge to hug you, so let’s go back to Magnus’ loft before this gets awkward, yeah?” Simon says. Raphael breathes a laugh and wipes at his eyes, turning back on his heels.

“Yeah, we wouldn’t want you showing any kind of affection, would we?” He teases.

“No,” Simon agrees with a smile, “that’s disgusting.”

Simon’s phone goes off at that moment. He fishes it out of his pocket and unlocks it.

“My mom,” he sighs. “She asks where I am.”

“I don’t think you’ll make it to dinner,” Raphael notes.

“No, I don’t think so either. Hey – ” he looks up from his phone to Raphael “ – you wouldn’t want to, like, join me when I do get the chance to go? My mom offered, after all.”

“You do know we can’t digest food, right?”

“Yeah, but you said you learned to adapt. Surely you must’ve found a way to _pretend_ , right?”

Raphael pulls up his shoulder in a half-shrug. “I did.”

“Well, please come with me to show me? And possibly drag me outside if my mom accidentally cuts herself and I lose control?”

Raphael eyes Simon up and down and then sighs. “Fine.”

Simon grins, and it almost feels like it used to feel with him. “Awesome. I’ll let her know I’ll text her when we’re both free to come.”

He’s in the middle of typing up a message when his phone buzzes again. Simon frowns and mutters: “How did Alec get my number?” But then he opens the message and drops his phone in shock. Raphael snatches the thing out of the air before it can fall onto the curb and looks up at Simon, his eyebrows tugged into a frown.

“What’s wrong?” He questions. Simon’s eyes are big as they flicker to Raphael’s face.

“It’s – it’s Jocelyn. She’s… she’s – ”

“What? What happened?”

Simon’s eyes fill with tears. “She’s _dead_ , Raphael.”

“Dead? How? What happened?”

“I – I don’t know. I need to – I need to get to Clary. I need to see her. I – I…” Simon’s breathing picks up. Raphael notices how his hands start trembling, and he recognizes the signs of an early panic attack.

“Hey, hey, okay,” he says, trying to sound as assuring as possible as he takes Simon’s hands in his. “Go. Your friend needs you, Simon. I’ll handle the Camille situation. Just go.”

Simon’s eyes search his face, big and desperate and shining with tears. Before he can say anything, he flings himself into Raphael’s arms and clings onto the back of his jacket.

“It’s okay. It’s okay. Go to the Institute and find out what happened. Text me when you can,” Raphael whispers, rubbing Simon’s back. Simon nods against his shoulder and pulls back with a shaky breath.

“Okay, okay. I need to – I need to go. I need to go.”

“It’s fine, Simon. Be there for Clary.”

Simon nods again, biting his lip so hard he draws blood. Then he turns around and speeds away, leaving Raphael alone on the streets.

*

When Raphael gets back to Magnus’ apartment, he finds his friend in ruins.

The apartment is completely torn up, with smashed vases and broken furniture littering the floor. In the middle of it, Magnus is sitting cross-legged, staring at a spot in front of him. There are silent tears dripping down his cheeks.

“What happened?” Raphael asks, carefully stepping over Magnus’ broken possessions to reach him. Magnus shakes his head and pulls his knees up to his chest.

“Magnus, please. Talk to me,” Raphael pleads. He kneels next to him and places a hand on his shoulder. Magnus reaches up to hold it and squeezes it tightly, as if he needs Raphael’s touch to regain his strength.

“I – ” he starts before taking a deep breath – “I turned her in. She’s gone.”

“Camille? Why didn’t you wait until I got back?”

“Because… because I needed to – I needed to do it alone, Rafa,” Magnus explains, voice small and vulnerable. “I needed to face her and say goodbye. Alone.”

“Hey, no,” Raphael hushes him. “You don’t ever need to do anything alone, okay? No matter what, no matter how hard it might be for me, I’ll always be there for you. You’re not alone anymore, Magnus.”

Magnus sighs. “I know. But this – this was just something between us. I needed to see if I could do it. if I could let her go.”

“You did. You let her go, Mags. And I’m proud of you, alright? It’s okay to be hurting. I understand.”

Magnus sniffs and shakes his head. “After everything she did to you – after how much she hurt you – you still don’t blame me for grieving?”

Raphael shifts his body until he’s holding Magnus in his arms, his back pressed to Raphael’s chest and Raphael’s arms around Magnus’ torso. Magnus clings onto Raphael’s arms and lets his head rest against his shoulder.

“Of course I don’t blame you. You loved her long before she became what she is now, and in a way, you’ll always love a part of her. But you did the right thing, Magnus. Thank you.”

A sob escapes from Magnus’ lips before he can stop it. “Just – why does it hurt so bad if it was the right thing to do?”

“Sometimes the right thing to do hurts,” Raphael mutters.

“I’m _done_ hurting. I don’t want to anymore. I just – I just want to be _happy_ , Raphael.”

Raphael heart breaks at the desperation in his friend’s voice. Magnus had always been the strong one. He always comforted Raphael when he broke down, always woke him up out of nightmares and talked him through panic attacks and depressive episodes. For as long as Raphael can remember, he’d been there for him. So the least he can do is be there for him now.

“You’ll be happy, I promise. I’ll make sure of it myself.”

Magnus rubs his thumb over Raphael’s wrist and sighs. “You’re a good friend.”

Raphael kisses him on the top of his head, just like Magnus did only mere hours ago. “Say that again so I can record it and hold it against you next time I annoy you,” he jokes.

Magnus laughs softly. “Forget it,” he murmurs, “you won’t hear me say that again for the next century.”

Raphael huffs as if he’s offended by that, but he just pulls Magnus closer to his chest.

They sit like that for a while, until Magnus’ limbs start to hurt. Raphael helps him up and walks him to his room, where he waits until he got changed in the bathroom.

“You really don’t need to tuck me in, Raphael,” Magnus tuts when he steps back into his room, wearing silk pajamas. Raphael rolls his eyes at him.

“I wasn’t going to,” he scoffs. “I was just – you know – checking if you needed anything else before I go. The sun is rising soon.”

Magnus smiles at him. “No, I’m fine,” he says. “Thanks for – ” he makes a vague gesture towards the living room “ – you know.”

“You’d do the same for me. In fact, I think you did. Multiple times.”

Magnus nods. He briefly embraces Raphael before stepping back and turning around to get in bed.

“Text me if you need me, okay?” Raphael says.

“You too,” Magnus replies. “For anything, okay? I’ll be there.”

“I know,” Raphael nods, and he means it. Magnus would Portal to the hotel to kill a spider if Raphael asked him to. “Okay, I’ll be going now. Goodnight, Mags.”

“Goodnight, my little ice cube,” Magnus says before Raphael can close the door to Magnus’ room behind him. “I love you.”

Raphael makes a face at him. “Gross.”

Then he offers him an intimate smile.

“I love you too,” he says.

**Author's Note:**

> I know show canon is going to crush this as soon as the next episode airs, but for now I'm living in blissful denial :)
> 
> Also guys, I made a petition to make Raphael canonically gay in the show and it would mean a lot to me if you could sign it! http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/make-raphael-santiago-gay


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